https://odb.org/MY/2023/06/11/gods-garden
Today’s ODB’s life illustration of moonflower vines that bloom in the night but wither away in the bright sun never to bloom again is a good picture of our lives here on earth.
Like the moonflower, our lives here, although short compared to eternity, are blessed with beauty by God. We are beautiful to Him and to others as we exhibit His goodness and glory. People see the glory of God in us. That is why our lives, though short, are filled with beauty. We may live 80 or 90 years, but throughout those years, perhaps 50 of them we can and will be the beauty for the world to enjoy and experience, and we ourselves will get to enjoy and experience beauty in life.
The message this morning is that while we know that as a believer, there will be trials and tribulations and sufferings, there will also be things of beauty. Our present sufferings can not compare to the glory that awaits us, but God, in His grace and goodness, will not make our present life dull and just pure service for Him. As much as we are slaves (bondservants) to Christ, we are also co-heirs in Christ. We have a mansion prepared for us in our Heavenly Father’s vast mansion in heaven. We will have a place in the new heaven and new earth, the new Jerusalem – yet we will not miss out on the beauty in the present time, during our brief sojourn here on earth. We may be pilgrims that hold lightly to the wealth and trappings of this world, yet we will get to see, enjoy, and experience its beauty too, by the grace of God as much as we are also a beauty to those around us with the glory of God flowing from us.
Rejoice in the Lord always! For He is a good God. He may sometimes be demanding, but He is also kind, gracious, and generous. There may be suffering that produces perseverance and character amd hope but there will also be enjoyment that produces beauty that produces character and hope.
Have a blessed Sunday, everyone! Celebrate God’s goodness in worship and praise!
Ronnie's Thoughts 